Richard Talbert is certainly an angel amongst his colleagues. I'm not only thoroughly impressed,…read morebut extremely grateful for his presence in my family's lives.
He was first recommended to my parents around 2005. I have a sister with special needs, and as she got closer to 18, my parents knew they would need assistance to ensure she was properly protected. He came recommended from others in the community, and that was a recommendation that rang true.
My parents were so happy with their experience that when my deaf grandparents moved to the area several years later they turned to him again to draw up their will and later to help them with the estate.
While that alone was a ringing endorsement as my mother has always been very protective of my grandparents and seemed to always expect someone to take advantage of them, I honestly didn't realize how wonderful he was until more recently. During those instances my brief presence was required to sign a document or two, but I was in my 20's and uncomfortable with the concept that whatever document I was signing was based on someone's death, so I was in and out quickly. So while he was nice and professional and asked if I had questions, I didn't have much of an opinion.
Last year, after my father was diagnosed with cancer, I had to have some difficult conversations with my parents about being prepared for the next steps. They were immediately insistent that they wanted Richard Talbert to handle everything. I honestly assumed that this was simply because they knew someone in the field and it was easier than looking for someone new with all the chaos going on. However, after attending the first of several meetings with him, I quickly realized they deal with him because they honestly trust him.
During our first meeting with him last summer I was a bit surprised by how well he seemed to know my parents and their situation, he was very personable and didn't have to consult notes or make my parents seem like a number in a long list of clients, and genuinely seemed so sad about my father's recent diagnosis.
That first meeting was long, but I actually left relieved. He has a gift for explaining the process and answering in layman's terms where you completely understand the process. Not only did I leave feeling confident with our plan and understanding the process, but he was very kind as he answered my many, many, many questions. He never made me feel stupid for asking, he never seemed impatient, even if I revisited something and he had to explain it again. He also waited as I finished writing notes before moving on to the next topic.
In addition to that, my limited experience with lawyers is they stick to the one topic (either based on the meeting or their area of expertise) and don't advise much beyond that. Yet this meeting didn't just cover wills and POA's, he explained tax impacts and my sister's guardianship and other areas that would be impacted down the road.
Later, over the course of being cc'd on multiple of my parents emails and then going with my mother to set up the hearing after my father's death, I continued to be amazed with his patience and concern in helping people navigate such difficult experiences.
His staff is very kind as well, and they are very cognizant after meetings to draw up contracts specific to those tasks that clearly spell out the cost and what is involved vs what would be extra, so at no time has there ever been a surprise. Moreover, I find his prices to be very reasonable (well worth it regardless) and he has taken care of several tasks that I am certain another lawyer would have told my newly widowed mother to do on her own. His office also completes tasks in a very timely manner, which is another relief in all the chaos of dealing with an estate.
He has really been there for my family, showing us grace and compassion, and I'm so thankful for him. I trust him to be straightforward and will definitely continue to use him for my family's needs in the future.
I cannot strongly recommend him enough!
